Rapid economic and population growth has created extreme solid waste accumulation, overwhelming cities' ability to deal with sustainable waste management. The following approaches describe four solutions.

The concept of reusing human resources and abandoned physical assets if applied correctly can be the catalyst towards increasing economic activity. Archer Groupe located in Romans-sur-Isère in Drome, France is a prime example of a successful application of this unique concept.

Twice a day, Beijing's Chaoyang Circular Economy Industrial Park hosts a showcase waste site in Gaoantun. Benches and trees give the site a park-like feel. Citizens are invited to tour -- and smell -- the facility.

Why does one governmental agency have 13 different cell phone plans for which it pays varied prices that are higher than commercially available rates? The one take away is that the government clearly is not leveraging its buying power and, as a result, is wasting taxpayer dollars.

If Congress wants to cut the deficit intelligently, it should be finding ways to eliminate unnecessary and poorly managed projects in the nuclear weapons complex, not shielding nuclear programs from budget reductions.

The bottom line is recycling is good, but it's not going to get us even close to the goal of zero landfill waste. A consumer economy centered around compostable products is a lot sounder and could even be tasty.

The beleaguered Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) program at the Savannah River Site was targeted for possible cancellation last fall, but ongoing discussions resulted in a recent lifeline offered by a top Department of Energy official, which appears to have been accepted by the White House.

As we pointed out last year, the appointment of John F. Sopkoto head the watchdog agency seems to have infused SIGAR with renewed vigor, as evidenced by an increase in inspections and audits. But SIGAR wants to do more.

With the country drowning in debt, why go through such a costly and excessive ceremony for a guy who already has the job? If that sounds negative and anti-American to you, well, you're wrong. It isn't. It's anti-waste.

We not only need to reduce the amount of food we currently waste, but we also need to dramatically improve our high-calorie, high-processed, high-waste Western diet -- a diet which is literally killing us and destroying our planet.

Practicing zero waste means moving toward a world in which all materials are used to their utmost potential, in a system that simultaneously prioritizes the needs of workers, communities, and the environment. It is ambitious, but it is not impossible.